1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to improvements in toilet flushing mechanisms and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to mechanisms which provide a selection of the volume of water used to flush the toilet.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Devices for flushing toilets have been the subject of numerous patents and a variety of mechanisms having this purpose are to be found in the prior art. Such mechanisms can employ a mechanical linkage as in the flushing device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,558,342 issued Oct. 20, 1925 to Chittenden and as in the water closet supply cistern disclosed in U.K. Pat. No. 3,641 issued Dec. 17, 1898 to Small. Similarly, it is known to use solenoids to lift a valve for the release of water to the toilet and devices so employing a solenoid are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,456,196, issued May 22, 1923 to Staats and in U.K. Pat. No. 504,221, issued Apr. 21, 1939 to Palit. Flushing devices are also known wherein an electrically actuated latching mechanism controls the initiation or termination of the flushing of the toilet and such latching mechanisms can, in turn, be controlled by a float which makes or breaks an electrical contact at a selected depth of water in a tank which empties into the toilet. Christy, in U.S. Pat. No. 939,123, issued Nov. 2, 1909, has disclosed a mechanism wherein a catch is released to initiate flushing and Voorhees, in U.S. Pat. No. 512,416, issued Jan. 9, 1894, has disclosed a mechanism wherein an electrically actuated catch is operated via a push-button switch to initiate flushing and operated via a float actuated switch to terminate flushing.
Water conservation can be affected by releasing only a portion of the water stored in a tank for flushing a toilet and a flushing device having this capability has been disclosed by Moore in U.S. Pat. No. 3,108,286, issued Oct. 29, 1963. Similarly, Blair, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,626,401, issued Jan. 27, 1953, has disclosed a device which prevents the initiation of refilling of the tank prior to completion of the flushing operation for water conservation purposes.